VP of Pharmacy
UC Health
Dr. Akers is the Vice President of Pharmacy at UC Health in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is active in the pharmacy profession and 340B advocacy. Dr. Akers has been involved with 340B operations, informatics, and administration for over 20 years. He has served on numerous government and professional committees and boards in relation to pharmacy practice and medication use.
Dr. Akers is a 1993 graduate of the University of Kentucky, College of Pharmacy where he received a Bachelor of Science (BSPharm) and a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) with Distinction. In 1998, Dr. Akers graduated with a Masters in Healthcare Administration (MHA) degree from the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. In 2000, Dr. Akers became a Board Certified Pharmacotherapeutic Specialist (BCPS) as granted by the Board of Pharmacotherapeutic Specialties. In 2023, Dr. Akers was granted the status of a Certified Pharmacy Executive Leader (CPEL) by the American Society of Health System Pharmacy (ASHP).
Senior Partner
Flagship Pioneering
Junaid Bajwa is Senior Partner, Head of UK, and Science Partner at Pioneering Intelligence.
He brings over two decades of experience across primary care, secondary care, and public health settings. He has worked as a payer and policy maker in the UK, specializing in informatics, digital transformation, and leadership. He joined Flagship from Microsoft Research where he served as Chief Medical Scientist focusing on how AI can transform the practice of medicine. He was previously the Global Lead for Strategic Alliances and Solutions for the Global Digital Centre of Excellence at Merck Sharp & Dohme where he led a range of strategic initiatives to improve patient care including the establishment of internal partnerships across the enterprise and external partnerships across the health care ecosystem. Junaid cofounded VelocityHealth and has consulted for health care systems across the US, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Middle East, and Europe.
Founder and advisor
LeAnn R. Born Advisory Solutions
LeAnn Born is the founder and advisor of LeAnn R. Born Advisory Solutions, where she advises suppliers, providers, GPOs, and other industry partners about the healthcare supply chain. As a supply chain thought leader, she helps clients drive strategies focused on improved population health, enhanced care experience, reduced cost, workforce well-being, and advanced health equity. Her background includes three decades of executive leadership of major health system supply chain services, program development with group purchasing organizations, and guidance to medical suppliers on effective sales strategies with customers. Before her consulting practice, LeAnn served as Vice President of Supply Chain at Fairview Health Services/M Health Fairview, Vice President of Contract, Program Services and Customer Contracting at Novation (now Vizient), and several positions leading up to interim Vice President of Supply Chain at Allina Health. Clients rely on her expertise in a range of situations, from resolving urgent needs to long-term strategic planning.
VP of Contracts and Strategic Sourcing
Partners Cooperative, Inc.
Jonathan Brockmann is the Vice President of Contracts and Strategic Sourcing at Partners Cooperative, Inc., where he leads initiatives to drive value through strategic supplier relationships, contract optimization, and innovative sourcing strategies. With over two decades of healthcare industry experience, Jonathan brings a strong blend of operational insight and supplier-side expertise.
Before joining Partners Cooperative, Jonathan spent 12 years with Medline Industries in various sales and management roles, developing deep knowledge in healthcare distribution, customer engagement, and leadership. Prior to that, he served for 10 years at Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens, Georgia, primarily in supply chain operations, where he was instrumental in improving procurement practices and internal logistics.
Jonathan’s cross-functional experience—from provider to supplier to group purchasing—gives him a unique perspective on healthcare supply chain dynamics. He is passionate about delivering sustainable value and forging strategic partnerships that benefit members and their patients.
Assistant Administrator of Clinical Operations
USA Health
Dr. Allen Broome brings over 25 years of distinguished experience in the pharmacy profession and healthcare administration. He currently serves as the Assistant Administrator of Clinical Operations at USA Health Children's and Women's Hospital, where he provides executive oversight for multiple departments, including pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, security, food services, patient transport, environmental services, and communications.
Prior to his current role, Dr. Broome held senior leadership positions as Health System Director of Pharmacy at the University of South Alabama Health and as Senior Director of Pharmacy at Erlanger Health System.
Dr. Broome is deeply committed to fostering high-performing, autonomous teams that collaborate effectively to enhance patient care. His leadership philosophy centers on operational excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the continuous advancement of healthcare delivery systems.
Chief Medical Officer
Advantus Health Partners
As Chief Medical Officer of Advantus Health, Dr. Chung leads Clinical Transformation efforts overseeing physician engagement, product implementation, clinical process design, and integration. Serving as a physician executive with over 20 years of experience, he is dedicated to innovative, effective methods of delivering high-value, safe, patient-centered health care in a value-based environment. He has spoken at numerous national conferences as an expert on the development of physician leadership in optimizing the cost, quality, and outcomes of healthcare. Dr. Chung received his MD from UC San Diego, completed his surgery residency at the University of Washington, received his MBA from the University of Massachusetts, and has practiced general surgery since 2000. He serves as second vice chair of the Washington Medical Commission and is the Chair of the Reduction of Medical Errors Committee. He is Board Certified in Surgery and Health Care Quality Management, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, as well as a fellow of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians.
Managing Partner
Medical Strategies International
Dennis Daar has been in the medical supply and device industry for over 40 years. For the past 24 years, he has been the Managing Partner for Medical Strategies International, (MSI). MSI is an outsource corporate accounts firm that helps clients develop their National Accounts strategy, then works toward gaining and implementing agreements with GPOs, IDNs, RPCs, Equipment Planners, and Government Sales. Prior to this, he held senior management positions at Stryker, SSI/Hill-Rom, Inc., STERIS/Hausted, and Skytron. His diverse responsibilities range from developing and implementing National Accounts, Equipment Planning Relationships, Government Contracts, Sales Management Strategies, and International Operations.
Dennis has been the past Chairperson of the Federation of American Hospitals Exposition Advisory Committee, part of Association of the National Accounts Advisory Committee (ANAE), Past Chairperson of HSCA/HISCI/HIDA, and of HISCI's Educational Committee. Also, he was a member of the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP) IBEC Committee.
Dennis has been both a speaker and has appeared in print on assorted topics including healthcare, government sales, sales management, national accounts, and international issues. He consulted and appeared on the TV Show “ER”. In 2022, he received the first-ever Life-Time Achievement Award from the Federation of American Hospitals.
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Vanderbilt Health
In addition to serving as the Chief Supply Chain Officer for the Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Teresa Dail is the President of three LLC’s wholly owned by VUMC: Vanderbilt Health Supply Chain Solutions, Vanderbilt Health Purchasing Collaborative and Carefluent Connect. The focus of the three LLC’s is to extend the influence and value that supply chain can bring to healthcare organizations across the continuum of care.
Teresa is a registered nurse whose healthcare career included leadership roles in the ICU, Perioperative nursing, and practice administration. Dail started her supply chain career as a Clinical Resource Manager introducing the concept of value analysis and clinical collaboration to a seven-hospital system. Teresa was recruited to Vanderbilt to focus on the development of a high performing supply chain to support the tripartited mission of the organization of clinical care, education and research.
National VP, Business Development
Premier, Inc.
With nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare sales, marketing, and management, Dave Edwards is an enthusiastic champion of creating win/win scenarios through collaboration, particularly between healthcare providers and suppliers. He is an energetic leader with a proven record of sales success with a Fortune 50 company, a start-up-device company and as a partner in a small medical manufacturer.
Now an executive with the Premier healthcare alliance, his talents for motivating people, synthesizing complex ideas and building strong relationships across the healthcare supply chain, along with his engaging personality, make Dave one of the industry’s authorities on driving strategy, collaboration and organizational improvements.
During his 16-year tenure with Premier, he has been the principal architect of Premier’s field force strategy and has been instrumental in propelling the alliance’s purchasing volume from $12 to $44 billion.
VP of Supply Chain and Support Services
Adventist Health
Justin Freed is a seasoned healthcare executive with over a decade of experience specializing in Supply Chain. He began his career at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he spent 6.5 years, followed by 4 years at Providence Health. For the past 5.5 years, Justin has served as the Vice President of Supply Chain and support services role at Adventist Health.
His passion lies in building and mentoring high-performing supply chain teams—fostering innovation, streamlining processes, and strengthening cross-functional partnerships. Justin is committed to driving operational excellence that supports more affordable, accessible care for the communities his organizations serve.
CEO, Pharmacy Services
Banner Health
Russ Funk, Pharm.D., MHSA, serves as Chief Executive Officer of Banner Pharmacy Services. Funk oversees clinical services, acute care pharmacies, retail pharmacies, specialty pharmacy services, drug preparation and dispensing and pharmacy benefit management at Banner Health.
Funk previously held leadership roles within the continuum of care that focused on innovative strategies and developing new products and solutions to enhance the quality of life for both patients and caregivers.
Prior to Banner Pharmacy Services, Funk served as strategic customer vice president for 11 years at Becton Dickinson. Previously he held roles in clinical and operational pharmacy leadership, product management, and leading sales and marketing teams.
Funk earned his Pharm. D. from Creighton University and a Master of Healthcare Services Administration from the University of Kansas.
Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer
Froedtert Health
Jake Groenewold currently serves as an executive advisor to Froedtert ThedaCare Health after retiring from his role on March 1st. In his role, Jake planned, directed, and managed the enterprise supply chain activities for this regional health system. This included overseeing more than 225 personnel in key areas such as the Integrated Service Center, procurement, logistics, and distribution.
With more than 35 years of experience in healthcare, Jake previously served as the area vice president and chief resource officer for AMITA Health in Illinois and Wisconsin, where he was responsible for supply chain management contracting, operations, and logistics services for the 19-hospital system. Prior to AMITA, Jake served as the system vice president of supply chain at Presence Health in Chicago. Earlier in his career, Jake also held executive level positions with Vizient, Consorta, Premier, Owens and Minor, and Lutheran General Health System.
Partner
HealthCare Links
Maria Hames joined HealthCare Links in March 1999.
She has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare market. Her background includes working with companies in senior management roles in the arena of healthcare corporate development and national sales management. Ms. Hames has been involved in start-up and acquisition, operational/sales management, strategic planning, accreditation, practice management, managed care contracting and risk contracting.
As a partner in HealthCare Links, her responsibilities include IDN sales and contract implementation on behalf of HealthCare Links clients. She simplifies very complex sales processes at some of the largest healthcare organizations in the country. More importantly, her relationships are built on trust with a sincere desire to see all parties’ benefit.
Her educational experience includes a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Michigan and a Master's Degree in business management from Pepperdine University.
SVP, Supply Chain and Sustainability
Avera Health
Sara Henderson is the Vice President of Supply Chain at Avera Health, located in Sioux Falls, SD.
She has over 15 years of experience in finance, supply chain and healthcare. Her healthcare leadership career began at the University of Utah Medical Group and led to increasing responsibilities and leadership roles within Avera Health.
She is best known for ability to oversee and lead large scope initiatives such as item master standardization, integration of revenue cycle with supply chain operations, and the restructure of the supply value analysis process into clinical integration.
Sara has her Economics B.S. degree and MBA from University of South Dakota.
SVP, Pharmacy Spend Management Delivery
Vizient, Inc.
Joel Hennenfent leads Vizient’s pharmacy spend management delivery team. The team strategically partners with providers to deliver value through Vizient pharmacy solutions. The pharmacy program helps health systems in transforming their pharmacy program to manage cost and improve quality outcomes for patients.
Before joining Vizient in December 2021, Hennenfent served as Vice President of Pharmacy and Professional Health Services at University Health in Kansas City, Missouri, leading pharmacy, laboratory, medical imaging, and joint venture dialysis center. He held a variety of leadership positions at Broadlane/MedAssets at Ascension Health, Saint Louis University Hospital, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Hennenfent holds Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from St. Louis College of Pharmacy, completed residency at Barnes-Jewish hospital, and master’s degree in business administration from Saint Louis University.
He serves as a member and secretary of the Board of Trustees at University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis along with the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.
Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Management
Trinity Health (Ret.)
Ed Hisscock retired as the Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Trinity Health, a leading catholic healthcare ministry. He is a lifelong Healthcare Supply Chain Practitioner having spent 40 years serving in the supply chain and IT disciplines with fortune 50 companies, healthcare supplier and healthcare provider organizations. Ed has founded two healthcare companies and personally served over 100 healthcare provider organizations in the US and Europe.
Ed holds an Engineering degree in Electronics, a Bachelors degree in Behavioral Science, and a Master's degree in Supply Chain from Michigan State University.
System Director - Sterile Drug Compounding Operations
Ochsner Health
Dr. Hunter is the System Director – Sterile Drug Compounding for Ochsner Health, encompassing oversight for forty-seven hospitals, and their associated oncology and non-oncology infusion centers. His practice expertise includes sterile compounding and health-system automation. His focus is to automate processes, in a system setting, which allow for a data driven approach to ensure medications are delivered safely, and in a timely manner.
In the state of Louisiana, Dr. Hunter serves on the ASHP House of Delegates, and Chair of the Membership and Marketing Committee for the Louisiana Society of Health-System Pharmacists. In this setting, he is an advocate for hospital pharmacist and is striving to increase Louisiana Pharmacist participation in LSHP.
Chief Supply Chain Officer
Bon Secours Mercy Health
Dan Hurry is a lifelong transformation agent with a passion for pushing the envelope and taking performance to the next level. As President of Advantus Health Partners, Dan oversees the strategic vision, growth and operational management of the cutting-edge supply chain solutions company. His experience in the food, energy and retail industry crosses manufacturing, product development, logistics, procurement, and merchandising. In 2010, motivated by a personal desire to improve processes, he ventured into healthcare. Since then, he has successfully implemented innovative supply chain strategies resulting in significant cost savings and improved services. In addition to his role at Advantus, Dan also serves as the Chief Supply Chain Officer for Bon Secours Mercy Health, the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the United States. Dan has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the State University of New York at Fredonia and an MBA from the University of Texas, San Antonio.
Senior Director Analyst
Gartner
Salil Joshi is a Senior Director Analyst in Gartner's Supply Chain practice, providing research insights, advice and thought leadership to Healthcare Provider clients. His research coverage includes supply chain strategy, procure to pay, master data management, track and trace initiatives and regulation requirements for healthcare providers.
He focuses most of his time with healthcare providers and advises them on maturity model development, best practices for managing their supply chain data and systems, and performance metrics to measure supply chain success.
His previous experience includes Supply chain consulting (data management, partnership development, business process improvement, ERP optimization, and project management).
Chief Digital Transformation Officer
Virtua Health
Tarun Kapoor, MD, MBA, is senior vice president and chief digital transformation officer at Virtua Health. In this role, he oversees Virtua’s Digital Transformation Office and orchestrates Virtua’s enterprise-wide master plan in support of an intuitive care journey for all consumers.
Previously, Dr. Kapoor was the president of VirtuaPhysicianPartners™ and the senior vice president and chief medical officer for Virtua Medical Group (VMG), a clinician multi-specialty medical practice. Dr. Kapoor joined VMG as a hospitalist in 2008, where he was the associate director of the Virtua Hospitalist Group. In addition, he was previously a member of Virtua’s Medical Informatics team, helping to develop and implement its inpatient electronic medical record, including full deployment of CPOE and electronic Medication Reconciliation.
Dr. Kapoor trained in internal medicine at The George Washington University Hospital, where he stayed on an extra year to serve as chief resident and clinical instructor. He obtained his medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson, his undergraduate degree in government and chemistry from Cornell University, and his executive Master of Business Administration from the Fox School of Business of Temple University. Additionally, he is a Health Management Academy GE Fellow and is recognized over consecutive years by Becker’s Healthcare as one of the nation’s top Digital Officers to Know.
VP Supply Chain Operations
Lifepoint Health
As Vice President for LifePoint Health’s supply chain operations, Jay Kirkpatrick provides strategic oversight for the management of all medical-surgical supplies, services and equipment for the organization. In his role, he leads the development of supplier/distributor relationships, oversees facility-based materials management activities, develops supply improvement and standardization initiatives and provides direction on acquisitions-related transition and due diligence processes.
Jay has been a leader in the healthcare supply chain space for more than 30 years. Before joining LifePoint Health in 2019, he served as regional chief executive officer for HealthTrust, where he oversaw group purchasing relationships with 17 healthcare systems with a total spend of $10 billion. Prior to that, he served in several roles for HCA Healthcare, including CEO of Nashville Supply Chain Services.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business: Production & Operations Management and Procurement Management from Miami University and a Master of Business Administration from Eastern Kentucky University. A Certified Materials Resource Professional (CMRP), he is a past president of the Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) and the recipient of both the AHRMM George R. Gossett Leadership Award and the GHX Supply Chain Leadership Award.
Independent Pharmacy Consultant & Columnist
Bonnie is a Health Care Consultant with senior management experience in the Pharmacy section of large corporate health care organizations, teaching hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry. She has a particular interest in reimbursement issues, specialty pharmacy, and patient safety, and in using technology to solve issues in each of these areas. She has proven success in developing and managing national pharmaceutical programs and strong leadership skills with expertise in strategic planning and in forging alliances between hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical companies and distributors and has spoken extensively in these areas. She writes monthly columns on finance and reimbursement for Pharmacy Practice News and BioSupplyTrends quarterly that have a positive influence on pharmacy practice nationally. She is the 2015 Latiolias Leadership Award recipient from The Ohio State University. Bonnie shares her time between Boulder, CO and Breckenridge, CO where she is the Past President of the National Repertory Orchestra Board of Trustees, and served on the Board of Directors of the Breckenridge Heritage Alliance.
VP, Strategy and Program Lead, Vizient Reserve
Vizient, Inc.
Katie Korte currently serves as the Vice President of Vizient Reserve at Vizient. Through this program, she connects providers to Vizient's best-in-class Assurance program, ensuring that they have access to essential products and support to enhance their operations and achieve their resiliency goals. Prior to her resiliency work, Katie held the position of Senior Director of Pharmacy Member Services at Vizient. In this role, she provided support to over 400 providers, assisting them in maximizing their pharmacy value.
Katie previously served as Director of Pharmacy at University Health in Kansas City. Katie's educational background includes a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, School of Pharmacy, and a Master's degree in Health Administration from the University of Missouri. Katie completed a Pharmacy Practice (PGY1) Residency and a Critical Care (PGY2) Residency at University Health. She is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS) and Board-Certified Critical Care Pharmacist (BCCCP).
Associate Director
UPMC
Molly J. Billstein Leber is the Director, Pharmacy Procurement and Business Operations at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Her oversight includes drug use policy, formulary management, and pharmaceutical sourcing. This oversight includes budget mitigation, safety initiatives, regulatory compliance, and payment controls.
Leber received her PharmD degree from the University of Montana and completed a PGY1 residency at Yale New Haven Hospital. Leber has also completed the ASHP Pharmacy Leadership Academy (PLA) and received her Master's of Business Administration from New England College.
EVP and Chief Transformation Officer
Fairview Health Services
As Chief Transformation Officer, Kathy LeBrew leads our strategic transformation, identifying and capturing opportunities to improve outcomes and operations. Joining Fairview in 2021, Kathy has built and led teams in health systems and physician organizations across the country for over 35 years, with a proven track record of improving net revenue, experience, and sustainable outcomes. Kathy has served as the chief system revenue cycle officer and vice president of information technology at University Hospitals in Ohio and the corporate vice president of both revenue cycle operations and information technology at West Penn Allegheny Health System in Pennsylvania. Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Robert Morris University and executive leadership certificates from both Advisory Board and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
CEO
Nancy J. LeMaster Consulting
Nancy LeMaster parlayed her years of healthcare supply chain experience into the formation of Nancy J. LeMaster Consulting. She currently leads the AHRMM Learning UDI workgroups, which are focused on expanding UDI adoption and utilization. In addition, LeMaster serves as Chair of the ISM Hospital Business Survey Committee. LeMaster spent most of her career at BJC HealthCare in St. Louis where she served for 18 years as Vice President of Supply Chain Operations and was responsible for the strategic direction and general management of all supply chain related activities.
Nancy was a founding member of Vizient’s Large IDN Service Network (LISN) and SMI where she served on the board for seven years. She was inducted into the Bellwether League Supply Chain Hall of Fame in 2015, and has received leadership awards from GHX, YWCA and BJC HealthCare.
Partner
Excelerant Consulting
Jeff Little is a Partner at Excelerant Consulting. With more than three decades of healthcare industry and hospital-related experience, Jeff is a recognized thought-leader in various aspects of the hospital supply chain, purchased services, hospital operations, facilities and construction, and medical capital equipment.
His primary role at Excelerant is to be a “growth engine” for clients seeking to expand their footprint by gaining greater access to the market and to key stakeholders within. Jeff offers clients a unique perspective and is well-connected throughout the healthcare industry, having worked in clinical settings within world-class hospitals, and multiple Integrated Delivery Networks [IDN] and Group Purchasing Organizations [GPO]. He is able to educate clients on the subtleties and nuances of the complex healthcare ecosystem and excels at developing commercial strategies.
SVP, Supply Chain Management
Houston Methodist
Tim Miller is the Chief Supply Chain Officer and Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Houston Methodist, where he leads enterprise-wide supply chain strategy, operations, and transformation across one of the nation’s top academic medical centers. With over 25 years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare, Tim has led large-scale initiatives that drive operational excellence, cost savings, and clinical integration.
He has deep expertise in self-distribution and played a key role in designing and operationalizing a comprehensive consolidated service center to centralize logistics, purchasing, and inventory management. Tim is widely recognized for building high-performing teams, advancing digital transformation, and aligning supply chain strategy with system priorities.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from Grand Canyon University, with a concentration in organizational leadership. A collaborative and forward-thinking leader, Tim is passionate about supply chain innovation, mentoring emerging leaders, and improving service delivery through data-driven, strategic decision-making.
President and CAO
Capstone Health Alliance
Yolandi Myers is the President and Chief Administrative Officer of Capstone Health Alliance, where she is committed to driving growth and innovation to deliver exceptional service and value to Capstone Members, all while navigating the complexities of the healthcare supply chain. Yolandi joined the Capstone Executive Leadership team in 2021 as Chief Customer Officer, where she spearheaded strategic engagements and expanded Capstone's reach, fostering collaboration among industry partners.
With two decades of operational experience in the healthcare GPO sector, Yolandi has successfully led diverse cross-functional teams and developed strong partnerships throughout the industry, delivering tailored solutions across the healthcare landscape. She holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from The Pennsylvania State University and resides in the Cleveland, Ohio area with her husband and two teenage daughters.
Executive Medical Director
Vanderbilt Health
Bill Obremsky has expertise in musculoskeletal trauma outcomes, fiscal analysis, and study design. He served as the Chairman of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Evidenced Based Medicine Committee for 10 years. He has authored four chapters on Outcomes in orthopaedic trauma and three meta-analysis articles on orthopaedic trauma conditions as well as > 320 articles. He has served on the Steering committee of the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC) that has been awarded $130 million to conduct nine prospective randomized trials for the Department of Defense. Dr. Obremskey has been the principal investigator on four DoD projects. He is currently PI on a $4.5 million grant on early weight bearing of ankle and tibia plateau fractures and on PO vs IV antibiotics for infected nonunions. He has a clinical and research interest in Knee Dislocations, Scapula fractures and Necrotizing Fasciitis. He has a strong record of mentorship for orthopaedic trauma fellows, orthopaedic residents, and medical students.
Research Vice President Healthcare Supply Chain
Gartner
Eric O'Daffer is a Strategic Advisor in the Healthcare Supply Chain. A supply chain lifer, Mr. O'Daffer's focus is on the end-to-end healthcare supply chain with a true north of serving healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes, deliver strategic value to health systems and enhance the reliability of service. Eric has written over 100 research notes on the healthcare supply chain, delivered 50+ conference presentations and taken over 4000 individual advisory calls with healthcare supply chain stakeholders. Mr. O’Daffer led Gartner’s Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 program for 15 years, Gartner’s All-Industry Innovation Research for10 years and started Gartner’s IDN Supply Chain Benchmarking Program leading it for 8 years. Previous roles with Esurg and Cardinal Health focused on innovative distribution and manufacturing models serving acute and non-acute care.
Partner
K&L Gates LLP
Mark Ogunsusi is a partner and a member of the Healthcare and FDA practice group. Prior to joining the firm, Mark was a senior associate at a Washington, DC-based law firm. Mark has extensive experience with regulatory matters involving pharmaceutical pricing and, specifically, the 340B federal drug discount program. He is a doctor of pharmacy and has over 10 years of experience as a pharmacist that inform his health law practice. Mark also regularly advises an array of healthcare entities on the nuances of the 340B program, the Medicaid drug rebate program, federal pharmacy law, food and drug law, and state pharmacy law.
Founder and CEO
Jevan Consulting
Lisa (Thakur) Risser is the Founder and CEO of Jevan Consulting. An esteemed leader with a legacy of nearly three decades in healthcare financial and operational management, Lisa leverages her wealth of experience and proven success, committed to offering unparalleled expertise in healthcare financial and operational consulting, executive leadership, and education and training.
Principal
Barbara Strain Consulting LLC
Barbara Strain is the Principal of Barbara Strain Consulting. Her extensive healthcare experience delivers insights to assist providers and suppliers in reaching their value driven strategic goals.
Previously, Barbara was the Director of Value Management at University of Virginia Health where she collaborated with executive leadership, physicians, clinicians, and suppliers across the care continuum establishing the value improvement infrastructure. She also directed Supply Chain Operations, Surgical Supply, Equipment and Linen Distribution. Professionally she is a founding member and past president of AHVAP- Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals and is active in AHRMM- Association of Healthcare Resource & Material Management.
She is a 2021 Honoree of the Bellwether League Foundation’s Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership and serves as Chair of their Board of Directors Barbara frequently shares her insights on healthcare value, supply chain, and the med tech industry on panels and podcasts.
Division Chair
Mayo Clinic
Eric Tichy obtained his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Connecticut, completed his postgraduate pharmacy residency training at Yale New Haven Hospital and received a Master of Business Administration from Yale University School of Management. He currently works for the Mayo Clinic where he is Division Chair, Supply Chain Management responsible for the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain and Associate Professor of Pharmacy at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.
Dr. Tichy’s professional interests include leadership, immunology, plasma protein therapeutics and supply chain management. He is immediate past chair of the End Drug Shortages Alliance and contributing editor in therapeutics for the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
Dr Tichy has held leadership positions in state and national pharmacy and medical organizations, is a Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and the American Society of Transplantation, has published over forty journal articles and book chapters and regularly presents research at national medical meetings.
AVP, Value Analysis
Jefferson Health
Kacey Wear is the Associate Vice President of Value Analysis at Jefferson Health, bringing over two decades of leadership experience in healthcare. With a clinical background spanning the Operating Room, Emergency Department, Pediatrics, and Critical Care, she combines frontline insight with strategic expertise.
Kacey has led numerous high-impact value analysis initiatives, including system-wide product conversions and cost-saving strategies at both Jefferson Health and St. Luke’s Health System. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Excelsior College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Boise State University.
A Certified Emergency Nurse and Certified Value Analysis Healthcare Professional, Kacey is passionate about driving clinical and financial outcomes through collaborative, evidence-based decision-making.
Senior Vice President
Novant Health
Mark Welch is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Novant Health, responsible for non-labor expenditures, supply chain logistics, operations, procurement, sourcing, and clinical supply chain engagement. In this role, Welch has managed cost control initiatives, introduced new programs, and addressed team member retention.
Welch also chairs the Board of MNS Network LLC, an organization consisting of three integrated networks that collaborate to reduce supply chain costs through volume, spending, and shared expertise.
Since joining Novant Health in 2005, Welch has held positions such as Vice President of Supply Chain Operations, Vice President of the Novant Health Logistics Center, and Vice President of Strategic Sourcing. He has overseen changes within the supply chain division, implementing solutions to address challenges in organization, delivery, and value-based operations.
Welch holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Pfeiffer Universit
Manager, Strategic Sourcing
Kaleida Health
Steve Zdziebko is Strategic Sourcing Manager at Kaleida Health in Buffalo, NY. Steve has been with Kaleida Health for 18 years and has significant experience in Procurement/ Sourcing, Value Analysis and Supply Chain. He currently manages the Strategic Sourcing team of 10 employees and contracting across the system.
Prior to becoming Strategic Sourcing Manager, he led the Peri-operative Value Analysis Team for 13 years at Kaleida contributing to over $20 million in realized savings for the Peri-Operative Value Analysis Team. During his career, Steve has collaborated closely with key hospital leadership, physicians, GPO leadership and suppliers in order build meaningful relationships to drive cost savings and contract compliance.
Steve received his undergraduate degree at the State University of New York at Fredonia. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. Steve presented at Premier Breakthrough 2024 “Implementing a New Product and Technology” as well as the IDN Summit in 2017, 2019 and 2023.